Why We Can't Have Nice Things
by a-blue-almost-black
Summary: Why We Can't Have Nice Things is a Spock/Chapel romance. Warnings for violence and graphic depictions of disease. T for now but will be M. Updating biweekly.
1. chapter 1

Christine Chapel should have expected this. The Golden Trio once again screwed up her life.

"Crap Crap Crap Crap!!!" She muttered as she hit her desk, no, not her desk, McCoy's desk. Chapel designed this sickbay herself, everything new and shiny, like the medical degree hung on her wall. This was going to be her place, Christine's shrink told her it would give closure and bring her full circle because she was returning to that ship. Whatever, That starfleet shrink was probably off her rocker as well.

Whyyyyy

Christine had gone through all of it. Getting back on her feet, ,making it through med school in record time. She secured a position as CMO on the Enterprise for God's sake, the flagship. But she couldn't catch a break. Usurped by her old boss and Will gone.

Christine pulled out her bottle of contraband scotch and began to drown her sorrows.

Several hours later

Crewmembers dove out of the way as a very angry Dr Chapel stored down the halls. The expression on her face looked like it could melt steel and no one wanted to face that. Even those just coming off gamma shift, only thinking of their quarters, had the good sense to get as far away as possible.

Christine knew they were staring and whispering, pointing fingers and this gossip would be all over the shift by beta shift, but she was beyond caring. She stored up to her destination and used her mediante over ice to open the door.

"James Tiberius Kirk! You egotistical, controlling bastard! Upi come back here, you take his ship, you sit her in his quarters, he hasn't even been gone for long!! What the hell? He didn't even resent you for this father, he admired you but sure, you just constantly college debts and you constantly make think everyone owes you something you entitled asshole!"

A visibly started Jim Kirk blinked up at the furious woman, brandy dripping from the glass raised to his lips. She whirled on the man lounging in a chair.

"You, you. You don't even care about medical do you? I designed this whole med Bay, don't you see how well it works? But nooooooooo. You are always on the bridge. And I'm once again the dutiful nurse!"

"And you! Rounding out the terrific trio! You you you.." The room began to spin and Chapel felt her legs collapse.

"I'll get her" She heard a voice as if from far off. But it couldn't be. Strong arms scooped her up and began to carry her away. She protested faintly, but, unsuccessfully.

Crewmembers stated once again, at the Vulcan carrying the doctor as if she weighed nothing.

"You can't get into MY quarters you don't know where they are," Chapel muttered. Spock ignored her, walking straight to the door as if he'd memorized the ship layout. Probably did it the second he stepped on board, the robot he is, or was after v'ger. She thought.

Spock laid her on the bed, and say in a chair. "I don't remember asking you to sit down sir" She slurred, flopping down on the bed. "but make yourself at home."

She realized she was being very rude, not a mention insubordinate, but she was beyond caring. What was he still doing here anyway? He'd done the honorable thing, taking her to her quarters, so why was he sitting there like a lump?

"where is your antitox?"

"no, I'm not drunk" She insisted.

"I have something I wish to discuss, but you should be sober."

"let me guess, you are about to tell me how I'm wrong about the Captain, he's a good man, he didn't mean to turf me out, but he's so great, so he'll save the universe," She was rewarded with an eyebrow tick.

"no, I wished to tell you, I have been remiss in not congratulating you on your doctorate and-"

"oh no mister, that is not it. Leave me alone, get out! I don't need your help I don't need anyone!" She was screaming at him now. Desperate to make him leave.

"I will leave you for now, but remember, I have more to discuss with you." he said calmly.

"go go go go!" She was crying now and throwing everything in arm's reach at him. Her Holo photos of her graduation shattered on the wall behind the unnerved Vulcan. Chapel heard the door close and collapsed in tears.

A crewmember walking outside the senior crew quartersh might have been surprised at the expression on the normally stoic Vulcan face, standing there. It wasn't despair, or anger, something else. Either way, it was clear approaching him would be a foolish idea.

By the end of omega shift, the room would be empty, the shattered Holo cleaned up, and Christine Chapel would be light years away.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: lol life and graduation has gotten in my way. Pretty sure this took a bit too long to get out, but it is a new chapter. I'm mostly trying to get past this setting up part, cause its boring and requires I constantly have a memory alpha wikia tab open. I'm going to do a big time skip soon, let me know if you want it now, or if I should do a few more chapters setting up how Chapel ends up in Opps before we get to Kitimoir. Comment or send me a PM. Also reviews feed the muse, who controls how often I write. (Hint Hint)**

 **~Blue**

* * *

A combination of mortification and anger propelled Christine right off the ship. She probably could have flown back to earth on her own steam, but the shuttle wasn't a bad idea. Her request for transfer had been granted almost immediately, probably a starfleet record. Then again, usually the captain and CMO weren't so eager to sign off on a transfer request. She didn't really care.

"Chapel reporting for duty, sir." Christine knocked on the slightly ajar office door of an old friend.

"Christine!" The admiral exclaimed with a big smile, pulling Christine into a very non regulation hug. He suddenly released her with a look of consternation "Since when are you back on earth? I thought you were CMO of the enterprise." He released her and waved her into the emergency ops director office, shutting the door.

"Richard, didn't you hear about the three musketeers coming back? There's no way I had a job after that." Christine sagged down in a chair, taking note of the spartan office space, regulation down to the starfleet and emergency ops requirement posters on the walls. Richard Cartwright sank down across the desk from her, sighing in sympathy.

"Anyway, I'm back on earth and I need a job, what have you got?" Christine said, shaking herself up. Determined to put on a brave face at least for a while.

"Well, I'm sure starfleet medical could use someone like you, and there are plenty of science billets," Cartwright hesitated "But I'd love to have you in emergency ops here."

"You know where I stand on that," Christine rolled her eyes, "I don't want to do the administrative stuff and people don't exactly throw retirement parties, it's the highest fatality rate in the fleet, isn't it? I may have screwed up a lot of shit back on the ship, but I'm not suicidal." She had been approached several times to join Opps, but she continued to resist. Cartwright was an old friend, someone she'd known from her childhood back in new england. He joined starfleet right out of school, she took another path.

Cartwright sighed "I've known you too long to bother arguing this with you. If you ever change your mind, let me know. Now, not to change the subject but what happened on that ship?"

"You're going to have to buy me a drink to get that story out of me." Christine said with a glint in her eye, the old joke remembered.

"Count on it." Cartwright responded with an answering smirk, standing up and opening the door. "There's a bar around the corner, Molly's, 1700?"

"Sounds good to me," Christine grinned, her first in a long while. "See you then."

* * *

Back on the enterprise, Spock sat in his quarters, attempting and failing to meditate. He was attempting to suppress emotions bubbling up in him. Spock kept coming back to that moment standing in front of Christine's _Doctor Chapel's_ empty quarters. He hadn't experienced such rejection since, well T'Pring. With that thought, Spock gave up on meditation and resolved to put the dark haired doctor out of his mind for good.


End file.
